


Red Memories

by Lady_Felucia



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), kylux - Fandom
Genre: Amnesia, Blooming Romance, Developing Relationship, Eventual kylux, Fluff, Friendship, Gay, General Hux - Freeform, Kylo Ren - Freeform, Kylux - Freeform, Love, M/M, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Short Story, Soft Kylux, Star Wars - Freeform, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) - Freeform, Sweet Kylux, The First Order, kylux fluff, space boyfriends, supreme leader snoke - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 17:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11491251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Felucia/pseuds/Lady_Felucia
Summary: General Hux receives a bump on the head during a training exercise gone wrong, and now, horribly, he can't remember a thing, save his own name.It is assured by the Doctors that Hux's lapse is merely temporary, and, with time and exposure, he will return to the fierce redhead that everybody knows and loves (or hates).Supreme Leader Snoke is, understandably, concerned for his General, and he tasks Kylo Ren with familiarizing the man with the tasks, names, and other things that are a part of Hux's everyday world, in hopes of returning his memory back to normal.But in the short week that Hux is "out-of-it", something begins to develop between the two men that's quite different from anything that existed between them before.Something -- new.





	Red Memories

Kylo Ren sighed, adjusting the dead weight on his shoulder as he continued his walk to Med Bay. Snoke had already been paged to meet him there, and a particularly nervous Captain was following along at Ren's side, talking his ear off.

Over his shoulder was his co-commander, the utterly obnoxious redhead, General Hux.

They had been out in the training grounds earlier, Ren silently observing, like always, and Hux loudly, vocally criticizing the Captains for their men's performances, like always.

He had been so intent on berating one Captain (who was in fact the man following Ren to Med Bay right now) that he didn't notice that one of the stormtroopers' practice weapons, an unloaded blaster, had swung from the man's grip and was flying in a straight line towards them.

Ren saw it coming and ducked, yelling for Hux to do the same, but by then it was too late. The heavy part of the blaster hit Hux directly in his temple, and he passed out immediately, hitting the ground in a graceless flop.

After calming everybody down, Ren picked up the General as easily as he would a sack of flour, flung him over his shoulder, and began his grim March to Med Bay.

When they got there, Ren dumped Hux unceremoniously onto a bed, and sought out a doctor for assistance.

At this time Snoke arrived, and, after Force-choking the poor Captain for his Troopers' incompetence in handing a weapon, came and placed his hand on Hux's forehead, frowning.

He began to ask the doctor if he had any tonics to wake up the General, but before the man could move, Hux's eyelids began to flutter and he opened his eyes, looking around him in confusion.

He sat up slowly on the bed, looking at the people around him.

"Where am I?"

"You're in Med Bay, you moof milker," Ren told him, annoyed. The room was the only one on base with the blinding white lights; where _else_ could they possibly be?

"Med Bay?, he asked, groaning as he touched his head. The bleeding had stopped, but a painful looking bump had emerged. "Med Bay -- where?"

"On base, of course," Ren said, highly agitated now. "Where else?"

Hux looked around the room and rapidly blinked his eyes. "Base? Like, a military base? Is that where I am?"

Now Snoke was looking at Hux with real concern. "You don't know where you are?", he asked in his deep voice.

Hux looked at him and shook his head. "No. I'm sorry; who are you, again?"

Snoke and Ren looked at each other in a mild panic. "I'm Supreme Leader Snoke, emperor of The First Order, which is why this base exists. This is Kylo Ren, my apprentice, and your fellow Commander-in-arms."

Hux rubbed his head again, looking more confused than ever. "And I'm --I'm, Hux, right?"

"General Armitage Hux, to be precise," Snoke told him.

"I'm a General?", Hux said in awe. "That's incredible."

Ren called the doctor over. "What's the matter with him?"

The doctor frowned as he checked over Hux's vitals. "Well, I'd have to run a brain scan to be sure, but I believe the bump on his head has afflicted him with a form of amnesia."

"Amnesia?!" Snoke and Ren exclaimed at the same time.

The doctor nodded. "I wouldn't worry; most cases like this are simply temporary. After time, once he's been around the things and people and routines that he's always been a part of, his memory will fall back into place. In the meantime, though, he needs his rest."

Snoke nodded and turned to leave with a sigh. "The doctor is right. Get yourself some sleep, General Hux; I'll be back to check on your progress in the morning, and decide a course of action for jogging your memory."

Hux nodded placidly. "Alright. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Smoke."

Snoke gritted his teeth. _"Snoke_ , General. Supreme Leader _Snoke_. To himself, he muttered "I knew I should have stayed in bed today," ; and with that, he was gone.

Ren, who had been mostly quiet during Snoke's visit, couldn't stop himself from laughing now. This was just too perfect to be real. Amnesia?

He wondered how long it would last.

"Well, I'm going to go, Armitage," he said, grinning. Hux loathed being called by his first name. 

Not that he KNEW this, at the moment.

"Okay," Hux said, laying back in the bed and closing his eyes. "I suppose I'll see you, tomorrow, too?"

"I'm sure you will," Ren told him, as he left the room, leaving Hux to his rest.

\---

"It's really warm out today," Ren said, using the sleeve of his robe to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

They were headed towards the drill grounds, where one of Hux's Officers was putting stormtroopers through a series of physical challenges. Snoke believed that the fastest way to get Hux's memory back was to immerse him, as an observer, in the activities that were a part of his everyday routine. Eventually, he reasoned, something would click and things would go back to normal.

But it didn't seem to be helping so far.

Hux still forgot things. Names, places, procedures--twice he had gotten lost simply going from his quarters to his office, and had to have a maintenance trooper escort him there. After that last incident, Snoke deemed that Kylo Ren would be the one to chauffeur the General around, seeing as how the two were, in fact, co-commanders.

And, although he had initially complained about being made to do this, Ren quickly grew accustomed to the role. This version of Hux was calm, and subdued. He was eagerly willing to listen to Ren, whereas before he would jump down his throat for the tiniest little things.

And the matter of the Force had been downright fun.

As he had no recollection of it, Ren patiently explained to Hux about the ways of the Force, and told stories of how he and Snoke used it.

Showing Hux a few parlor-trick examples of the Force in action has been terribly amusing to Ren. Where in the past Hux would tell at him, and call the things that he did "smoke and mirrors", THIS Hux was absolutely fascinated with even the most basic of demonstrations.

The first time Ren had floated Hux's chair--with Hux IN it--the General had been terrified, begging Ren to put him down. Then, as soon as he was down, begged to be lifted up again.

It was as though in losing his memory he had regained a sense of childlike innocence and wonder, and it made telling him and teaching him things more pleasant than expected.

Of course, it couldn't all be fun--like watching the stormtroopers go through drills, which Hux was about to do now. Ren was glad Hux's officer could oversee this mildly tedious of tasks, instead of him.

Hux looked at him now, in response to his 'warm' comment. "You're very overdressed for the weather. Do you always dress like that?"

Ren nodded. "It's kind of like my uniform. Much like the one YOU have on."

Hux looked down at himself and made a face. "Is this what I always wear?"

Ren nodded again.

"Well, I don't like it. Everything feels so stiff and heavy. Especially this hat," he said, taking it off of his head and examining it in his hands. "Here, you wear it."

Before Ren could protest, Hux reached up and perched his hat snugly on Ren's raven locks. Ren chuckled and shook his head.

"You know, once you get your memory back, you're going to hate yourself for doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Letting part of your clothes come into contact with me. You--you don't exactly _like_ me, after all."

"I don't?"

"No. You don't."

Hux shook his head. "Well, then I'm  
glad I can't remember anything. Because THIS me, thinks that you're not such a bad person at all."

Ren started to laugh, unable to help it. "Thanks. Likewise."

They had made it to the drill grounds, and Ren heaved a small sigh, without being aware that he had done so. He was having a nice time with this friendly, charming version of The General, and was reluctant for it to end.

"Well, here we are. That man over there," he said, pointing, "Is Lieutenant Ribalt. He's one of your top Officers. He'll be running this drill in your place, and talking you through it, to try and jog your memory."

Hux nodded, and began to step towards the grounds. After a few paces he stopped and turned back around, and said, timidly,

"Kylo?"

"Yes?"

"When I'm done here--do you want to come back to my quarters? I can cook us something. At least, I THINK I know how to cook. Or I can at least try. Please?"

Ren smiled.

"Okay. I'll be there."

Hux smiled back, and then turned around and went to the Lieutenant.

Kylo went back into the base, thinking and feeling too many things to count.

\---

"Here you are; I've been looking all over for you! You were suppose to sit in on that meeting, remember?"

It was about 3 days later, and Hux's memory still made no signs of properly returning.

And Kylo Ren was grateful for this.

The 'new' Hux was sweet, and pleasant. And, for some reason, very obviously attracted to Ren.

Whenever the two saw each other, Hux's face would light up with a childlike excitement that Ren wouldn't have thought him capable of, before. He talked to Ren endlessly, for hours, about all kinds of things that had nothing to do with The First Order or its tedious business. And Ren couldn't get enough of it.

He had also become quite physically demonstrative, something that the old Hux **never** would have allowed. He seemed to like hugging Ren, and would find any excuse to throw his arms around the taller man and squeeze for all he was worth. Once, after Ren had spent an entire hour with him, patiently going over every single Officer in Hux's inner cabinet with him, he had actually kissed Ren's cheek, telling him that he was "a really sweet person, to be trying so hard to help me."

Ren had left that particular encounter with a glow that spread from his kiss-warmed cheek down to his toes, and the awakening of a longing that he had kept repressed for far too long, now.

He knew, however, in his heart of hearts that this change wouldn't last forever. When Hux 'woke up' from this temporary madness, things would go back to the way they had always been between the two: anger, hatred, and rivalry.

Ren wasn't sure how long he had until that day, but he knew he needed to take advantage of it while he could, before it was gone forever.

"Oh," Hux said now, looking up at Ren from the book he had on his lap. "I must have forgot; I'm sorry."

Ren couldn't help but smile, as he came further into Hux's quarters and sat down. "It's alright; you didn't miss much. Mostly a lot of repetitive talk about the budget."

He leaned over and took a look at the page Hux was on in his book. "What are you reading?"

Hux flipped the cover up to show him. 

"A--you're actually reading a poetry book?"

Hux shrugged. "I found it with my other books; I thought, maybe it'll help jog my memory a bit. Here, listen to this."

He flipped to a page that had been earmarked, and read aloud for Ren:

>   
>  Doubt thou that the stars are fire,  
>  Doubt thou that the earth doth move;  
>  Doubt truth to be a liar  
>  But never doubt my love  
> 

Ren looked at him. "That's beautiful, but what does it mean?"

Hux shrugged again as he closed the book. "I don't know, exactly. I don't think half the poems in here really _mean_ anything. I think, they're just supposed to make you feel something."

Ren nodded, and stood up abruptly. The way Hux was looking at him made him feel nervous, for some reason. He went into Hux's kitchen and got himself a glass of water, drinking it down slowly. He nearly dropped it several times, and he realized that this was because his palms were sweaty.

When he went back in there, he sat down across from Hux and asked, quietly, "So what does that poem make you feel, then?"

"I don't know what it makes me feel, exactly, but I know what it makes me think of: you."

Ren's eyes widened as if Hux had unexpectedly slapped him, and for a few moments there he was at a loss for words.

When he finally could speak, he said, still quiet, "You shouldn't say things like that. You shouldn't think them."

"Why not?"

"Because--because that's not **real** , Hux! This," he said, tapping his own forehead with his finger, "Won't last forever, and when it ends, _this_ ," he said, gesturing back and forth between the two, "Won't exist."

Hux was silent; then, standing, he said "You look so upset; but, beautiful. No matter what you do, you always look so undeniably beautiful, Kylo. I can't help but think that the 'old' Hux would have seen this, too, unless he was completely idiotic. _Was_ the old me completely idiotic?"

Ren began to back unsteadily towards the door. "It's, um, it's late, Hux. I'm going to go now; I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Alright," said Hux, looking disappointed. He stepped after Ren and, before Ren could move, wrapped his arms around him again in one of those strong hugs.

And Ren didn't know how to stop it.

He didn't know how to stop standing there, how to stop the feeling bursting out of his chest at Hux's soft but strong arms around him. He couldn't stop how close he was to tears, when Hux leaned up and once again kissed his cheek.

Tears because, Maker help him, Ren wanted **more**. So much more.

And he could not bear to think of any of this coming to an end.

When Hux let him go, Ren continued to stand there, still feeling the arms around him and the lips against his skin. Finally he shook himself aware and opened the door, throwing a gentle "Goodnight" over his shoulder.

\---

Tap tap tap.

At first Kylo wasn't sure what he was hearing. It was pitch dark in his room, and he had been quite soundly asleep.

Tap tap tap.

Eventually his foggy brain put together that somebody was knocking on his door in the front room, and Ren slowly got out of bed, grumbling to himself at the intrusion.

He opened the door, and was more than surprised to find Hux standing there, in his pajamas, holding a slip of paper in his hand.

"Good evening," he said, sliding past Ren and into his quarters before Ren had a chance to answer.

"I hope you don't mind; I looked up your name in that big book in my office, to see where your quarters were. I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget."

"Hux," Ren said, still feeling like he was asleep, "What in the hells are you doing here? It's, it's--", he glanced over at the clock, "It's 2 in the morning!"

Hux grinned. "There's something outside that I want to show you. Come with me. Please?", he asked, holding out his hand.

Ren looked at it, then at Hux, and sighed. He grabbed a black shirt from over the back of the chair (he had been standing there bare-chested, which was the way he always slept) and tugged on his boots. Then he grabbed Hux's still-outstretched hand and allowed himself to be led through the dark, empty hallways and to the grounds outside.

Once they had walked a little distance away from the base, Hux plopped down on the slightly chilly, dew-jeweled grass and pulled Ren down with him.

"Okay," he said, pointing to the sky. "Now watch."

Ren followed the direction of Hux's finger to the moon. It was a full moon, but it was behaving oddly, going from white to red to blue, then back to white again.

"Isn't that amazing?", Hux asked in a hushed tone. 

Ren nodded. "I forgot about that. It's called a Peek-Eclipse. It happens once every few years, here. The Stars that orbit this planet literally do a dance around that moon, which is why the colors keep changing like that. I'd completely forgotten that tonight was the night for one of these events."

He looked at Hux curiously. "How did YOU know? Was this something you remembered?"

Hux shook his head, not taking his eyes from the dance in the sky.

"I couldn't sleep; I was out here taking a walk and I looked up and saw it. So I thought I'd come wake _you_ up to see it, too."

Ren looked over at him, at the way the colorful moonlight was turning his pale face into a moving painting, and he smiled.

"That was very sweet of you, to think of me. Thank you."

Hux nodded, and then he did something that made Ren's body tingle. He leaned over and kissed his cheek, then rested his head on Ren's shoulder, continuing to watch the show in the sky.

After internally screaming at himself not to, Ren put his arm around Hux's waist, holding him close, as they kept drinking in the dark rainbows of the moon.

\---

"I came to pick up the pills for General Hux," he told the little man. 

Ren was in Med Bay, a few days later, picking up the pills for Hux that the doctor claimed would eventually restore his memory, but didn't seem to be doing any good.

Still; Ren wanted to take these pills and smash them into bits.

The doctor immediately went to retrieve the yellow bottle of pills, handing it over to Ren with a grin.

"If I may say so, I certainly admire the both of you, and your dedication to this act of testing the resilience of your Officers."

Ren narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Why, the act. The one the General told me about. The fact that you still put on a show of picking up his medicine, although he no longer needs it, is impressive."

"Doctor--what are you _talking_ about?"

"My Lord, General Hux recovered from his blow over 7 rotations ago," the doctor told him, with a befuddled look. "In actual fact, the side effects from his head injury lasted less than two rotations. He says that you, as well as Supreme Leader Snoke, KNEW this, but that it was imperative it remain a secret from everyone else, because he was testing his men, to see how well they fared without his direct leadership."

Now the man looked at Ren with a mild panic. "Sir, I hope--I hope I've said nothing out of place."

Ren placed his hand on the doctor's shoulder, meant to be a gesture of reassurance, but the look in his eyes caused the older man to flinch, regardless. 

"No, it's all right. But he's right, though; do not mention this to anyone else. Understood?

"Y-yes, my Lord," he answered, unable to hide his relief.

Ren turned and strode from the room, a million questions burning into his brain.

Over a week?

Hux had regained his memory an entire **week** ago?

Why had he still continued to act that way, then, towards him?

As if Ren were the most special thing to ever walk the galaxy?

With a sinking heart, Ren thought he KNEW why.

Hux was teasing him. Cruelly, at that.

He must have somehow known that Ren, being lonely, would eat up the attention that Hux gave him. Relish it, and love it.

He must also have known, then, about the feelings Ren harbored for Hux that he had kept hidden away for so long. The idea wasn't as surprising as it should have been; Hux was a shrewd, clever man, head injury or not. He must have known about Ren's feelings, and decided to employ the ruse of partial amnesia as a means to toy with the knight.

And that hurt.

It hurt more than Ren knew something could hurt.

Because all this time, deep down, he had held on to a glimmer of hope that the affection, the hugs and the cheek kisses and the poetry and the adoring glances---deep, deep down he had hoped all  
of that to be REAL. Not some side effect of a bump to the head, but REAL feelings coming out, a reciprocation to Ren's.

He clenched his fists as he made his way to Hux's quarters, to confront him.

Although, what exactly he would _say_ still eluded him.

\---

By the time he made it there, his swelled anger had cooled to a mild rage, but he was still afflicted with not knowing what, or how, to say anything to the infuriating General.

He stood outside of his doors for a long time, composing himself before knocking.

"Oh, you're back," Hux said in that same carefree voice, turning around when Ren entered the room. He approached Ren for a hug. "You're looking even _more_ handsome than the LAST time I--"

"Okay, Hux, you can drop the act now," Ren said, grabbing both of Hux's arms and holding him off.

"Act?", the redhead asked innocently, tilting his head. "What do you mean?"

Ren rolled his eyes and spoke in an angry voice.

"I just talked to the doctor, you unbelievable bastard. She said you have been in full possession of your senses, and your mind, for a **WEEK** , now."

The doubt played over Hux's face, and Ren could see that he was debating on whether to continue to deny everything, or to come clean.

In the end, Hux chose honesty.

"You're right," he said in a low voice, looking at the floor. "I'm sorry for the lies. It's just, try and understand, Kylo, all I wanted was a break. Just a small piece of time where I wasn't responsible for anything, or anyone. I **NEEDED** that, more than you could possibly realize."

Ren let go of Hux, and sat down on the arm of the chair, folding his arms across his chest. After letting the silence following Hux's words stretch out for a few minutes longer, he answered him.

"I can understand all that, Hux. Really, I can. I feel the same way sometimes, when all I want is an escape from everything. I get _that_ , and I can't fault you for it."

Now he turned his head away and looked down at the floor.

"What I DON'T understand, is how you could treat me the way you did. Using the excuse of being out of your mind to say all those things to me. To--to trick me into believing that you were interested in me, like that. How could you lead me on like that? Was that your plan all along? To keep at it, then when you decided you'd had enough, surprise me by telling me that you were within your senses the entire time, and make fun of me, for nearly falling for it?"

Hux looked stricken. He timidly sat down in the chair that Ren was sitting on the arm of, looking down at his boots. Ren looked and sounded more upset than he had ever seen him, before, and Hux felt horrible, about being the cause behind that obvious pain.

"Ren," he began, not quite sure of what to say, "I never--I wasn't tying to 'trick' you, not really. But have you, uh, have you ever considered that maybe I found you easier to talk to, that way? That it was _easier_ to tell you how I actually felt under the guise of having a muddled head?"

Ren looked at him now, and frowned. "Why? Why would it be easier? Am I so much of a monster, that you can't talk to me, just as yourself?"

Hux shook his head.

"That's not what I mean. At all."

He stood up now and began pacing in circles around the curious Ren.

"You make me nervous," he said, not making eye contact with Ren in his pacing. "You make me feel like, I have no air in my lungs."

He stopped directly in front of him.

"You don't have a clue, how long I've wanted to touch you. Hug you. Say those ridiculously sweet things I've been saying to you. But I always thought, that if I told you any of this, or DID any of those things, under normal circumstances-- well, I thought, no, I KNEW, that you'd laugh."

Ren stared at him, unable to find the words for what Hux was telling him. It was unbelievable. It was unexpected. 

It was -- **WANTED**.

Now Hux was saying something else, perhaps another apology of sorts . . .

. . . but Ren cut him off, standing up from the chair and throwing his arms around the smaller man, squeezing him gently, trapping his arms at his sides.

Hux didn't know what was happening, but he knew he didn't want it to stop. A slow-moving warmth was flowing through his body, and he didn't want to sensation of Ren holding him to end anytime soon. Since Ren had his arms pinned down and he couldn't hug him back, he settled for leaning his head against Ren's soft neck.

When Ren released him, the two stood for a few moments, smiling at each other.

"From this point on in this relationship, nothing but total honesty. Okay?"

"Relationship?", Hux asked, excitement coloring his tone. "But we're not in --"

Ren cut him off again, this time with a very sensuous, lingering kiss.

"We are now," he said with a smirk. "Unless, you want to lie and tell me that this is something you _don't_ want?"

Instead of answering, Hux merely reciprocated that kiss, his mouth delighting over the succulent nectar of Ren's lips.

It was only with a concerted effort that he was able to make himself stop, and pull away with a sigh.

"I guess it's time to face the music with Snoke, and let him know I'm ready to get back to business."

Ren grabbed his arm and pulled him back to him, roughly.

"I think, maybe, you can get away with one more night. You can tell him in the morning."

He laced his fingers together with Hux's, squeezing it, as he pulled him towards the front door. 

"In the meantime, I'm hungry. Let me take you out to dinner?"

Hux squeezed his hand back just as hard, and, in spite of the happiness of the moment, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry.

Worry, because -- he didn't think he would be able to let go.

"I hope you can eat one-handed," he told Ren, as they walked through the hallways.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Hux said, as he raised their joined hands to his lips, lightly kissing Ren's knuckles.

"Let's go."


End file.
